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Baseball’s 2009 World Series begins tonight at 7:57 pm EDT on Fox. The Philadelphia Phillies take on the New York Yankees for the Championship title in one of America’s most beloved sports.

Click here to learn more about baseball.

Click here to follow the highlights of the 2009 Series. 

Tailgating (image: tadfad)

by: Kenan Jones

Summer is almost over and that means classes are beginning and college football is back in action. This is my favorite time of year, but for those of you who have little interest in watching a bunch of grown men running . . . → Read More: 3 Tips for Future CEO’s to Stay in the Game During Football Season]]>

Tailgating (image: tadfad)

by: Kenan Jones

Summer is almost over and that means classes are beginning and college football is back in action. This is my favorite time of year, but for those of you who have little interest in watching a bunch of grown men running into each other and chasing a ball around for three hours, this post is for you. Sports have a very strong influence in the business world; at some point you will inevitably find yourself in the midst of a conversation about football. Whether it’s with your classmates or corporate recruiters, I want you to be prepared. Here are three tips to help you future CEO’s stay in the game so you don’t have to pretend to go to the bathroom every time the subject of football comes up:

1. Know the top teams in the nation.
The Associated Press releases a weekly ranking of the top 25 teams in the land. Currently the top 5 teams in division 1A are: 1 Florida, 2 Texas, 3 Oklahoma, 4 Southern California, and 5 Alabama. The poll is updated every Monday based on the results of the previous week’s games. More importantly, you should make yourself familiar with your school team.  Who are they playing that week? Who are their biggest rivals? What is the team’s win/loss record? Who are their star players?

2. Learn the basics.
The rules of the football can be slightly confusing at first but the object of the game is simple: score more points than your opponent. Click here for an article that provides a breakdown of all rules, positions, and terminology you will need to become a football guru. If all else fails, find someone who enjoys the sport and go to a game with them.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, most people who love the game are more than happy to share their insights.

One aspect of division 1A college football that is completely unique to the sport is the way its national champion is decided. It is the only major NCAA sport that does not use a playoff system at the end of the year to determine who the best team is. Instead it uses the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) rankings to determine which two teams will play at the end of the year for the national title. The BCS rankings are highly controversial as they are nothing more than a ranking assigned to each team by a computer algorithm which pulls data from a number of categories such as total points scored, win/loss record, etc. The BCS is often criticized because it is possible for a team to win every game they play yet still not be allowed to compete for the national title if their ranking is not high enough.

3. Join your US classmates for a tailgate.
Tailgating is a part of the college football culture that I recommend everyone experience at least once. The term tailgate refers to the gate on the back of a truck or SUV that can be lowered for loading and unloading. People gather in a common area, usually the stadium parking lot, hours before the game to cook out, have drinks, and make friends. This is a perfect way to interact with your peers, sample the local fare, and maybe learn a thing or two about your school and football.

Kenan Jones is President & CEO of TheCitadelStore.com. He attended Clemson University and is an avid college football fan.

image: Carolina alumni online special edition

UNC defeated Michigan State 89 – 72 to walk away from the big dance the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions. And the crowd goes wild…

Hundreds of miles from snowy Detroit, fans heat up Franklin Street

by: Evan Rose, Assistant . . . → Read More: March Madness – Congratulations UNC!!!]]>

image: Carolina alumni online special edition

UNC defeated Michigan State 89 – 72 to walk away from the big dance the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions. And the crowd goes wild…

Hundreds of miles from snowy Detroit, fans heat up Franklin Street

by: Evan Rose, Assistant City Editor

A helicopter whirred overhead.

Firemen shuffled from foot to foot against the wind. Police quietly gathered on street corners.

Then the noise downtown began to grow, from the sporadic cheer to a steady, rising roar.

And when the buzzer blared 700 miles away, Franklin Street was buried by thousands of Carolina blue-clad fans, screaming, dancing and burning the clothes off their backs.

“The crowd is unity,” said Chase Beck, a senior. “I’ve never been prouder of my school. It’s all for the Carolina spirit.”

The crowd of more than 45,000 materialized in a matter of minutes after North Carolina’s 89-72 win against Michigan State to claim the 2009 NCAA title.

Fans poured from the doors of bars and restaurants. Waves of students sprinted downtown from their dorms and the Smith Center.

Together they became a tangled mass of bodies, hoisting each other onto their shoulders, spraying beer across the crowds, climbing street lights, hanging off trees and shouting into the mass below.

“I’ve wanted to go to this school forever, and this is the happiest moment of my entire life,” said first-year Mary Brent Barnard.

In the center of the crowd — right at the intersection of Franklin and Columbia streets — someone lit a shirt. The fire grew as revelers ripped off clothes to add to the flames.

And though Chapel Hill enlisted the help of more than 300 police officers to control the celebratory crowd, some students still managed to smuggle in wood to burn.

“We aren’t worried about safety,” said sophomore Lauren Traugott-Campbell. “We can’t be defeated. We just want it to get bigger.”

Firemen planned to let the fires burn, so long as they didn’t endanger any buildings.

Police patrolled the streets throughout the night, along with an additional 200 public workers, keeping on eye on the crowd.

Costs of crowd control this year are expected to be about the same as when UNC last took home the title in 2005.

The town and University footed a $165,000 bill that year to manage 45,000 celebrators in the streets.

As of 12:10 a.m., emergency services had treated one person for a fractured arm and another for alcohol consumption. There were no arrests at that time.

Police said they worried about burns, especially in the high winds.

But it didn’t seem like anything could damper Tuesday’s raging crowd.

“This is why you come to Carolina,” said junior Andrew Berry. “We’re an academic university, but secretly everybody wants that basketball title.”

Click here for the original post.

Who will cut down the nets at Ford Field tonight? (image: Eckler)

Over the weekend, Michigan State beat Connecticut and North Carolina did the same to Villanova. The two will meet for the big dance tonight in Detroit. Here’s Jeff Goodman’s preview.

Championship preview: Breaking down the teams . . . → Read More: March Madness – Championship Game]]>

Who will cut down the nets at Ford Field tonight? (image: Eckler)

Over the weekend, Michigan State beat Connecticut and North Carolina did the same to Villanova. The two will meet for the big dance tonight in Detroit. Here’s Jeff Goodman’s preview.

Championship preview: Breaking down the teams

by: Jeff Goodman

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 9:21 p.m. ET

North Carolina

The road: The Tar Heels crushed Radford in the opening-round, pulled away from LSU late in the game in the second round and pounded Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. North Carolina advanced to its second consecutive Final Four with a resounding win against Oklahoma and then cruised past Villanova to reach the title game.

Storylines:

1. Ever since the quartet of Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green decided to return to school, the Tar Heels were basically the unanimous pick to cut down the nets on April 6. Well, here they are with one game left to accomplish their goal.

2. Will Hansbrough leave school with a national title? He had a chance to leave school early on numerous occasions but opted to remain for all four years.

Stud: Tyler Hansbrough — There is plenty of talent on this team, but Hansbrough is the face of the Tar Heels and has been for the past four years while he led North Carolina in scoring and rebounding on most nights. No one works harder, and no one gets more out of his ability than Psycho T.

The key: Ty Lawson — No one has a gear like the speedy North Carolina junior point guard. He’s virtually unstoppable in the open court and also has showed he can make shots this year from deep. In the first meeting between the two teams, he was the difference-maker. Don’t expect that to change this time around.

Key question: Will Lawson continue his dominance? After missing the first game of the NCAA tournament and the entire ACC tourney with a sprained toe, he’s been as good as anyone in the country over the past four games.

Why they win: If North Carolina plays its “A” game, there’s no one in America that can beat the Tar Heels. They did that on Dec. 3 and had everything clicking.

Why they lose: Defense. The Tar Heels have stepped up defensively the last couple of games — none more so than Hansbrough. If they don’t guard, especially on the perimeter, they could find themselves in a hole that’ll be difficult to overcome.

Michigan State

The road: The Spartans took care of No. 15 seed Robert Morris in the first round and won a close one against USC to reach the Sweet 16. Tom Izzo’s team came back against Kansas and reached the Final Four with a fairly resounding victory against Louisville in the Elite Eight. Then Michigan State pulled the upset against its second straight No. 1 seed with a victory in the national semifinals over UConn.

Storylines:

1. The last time these two teams met came on Dec. 3, and the Spartans were embarrassed following a 35-point loss. Izzo was without starting big man Goran Suton (knee) and starting forward Delvon Roe wasn’t close to 100 percent recovered from a knee injury.

2. The home-court advantage: There will likely be 50,000 or so clad in Spartan green for the title game since Ford Field is around the corner from East Lansing.

Stud: Kalin Lucas — He didn’t play all that well in the Spartans’ first meeting with North Carolina, but he’s looked like a different player ever since. Lucas is one of the few guys that has the speed and quickness to keep up with Lawson, but he’ll need to get out of the gates quickly and get his confidence up.

The key: Goran Suton — The skilled 6-foot-10 senior sat out the game against the Tar Heels earlier in the season, but he’s healthy now and needs to have a big game. He struggled against UConn, but he’ll need to step out and pull Hansbrough and the other North Carolina big men away from the basket and also be a force on the boards.

Key question: How will Michigan State react to a team that dismantled them a little more than four months ago?

Why they win: They beat North Carolina at their own game. The Spartans make shots early, don’t allow the Tar Heels to beat them in transition and get out to an early lead. The crowd won’t hurt their cause, either.

Why they lose: North Carolina is the more talented team and has everything clicking on all cylinders. If Michigan State doesn’t come out early and set the tone, it’ll be difficult to imagine them coming away with the victory.

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good ‘N Plenty.

Click here for the original post.

Click here to see the updated brackets.

(image: Balakov)

Basketball fans filled sports bars and living rooms over the past four days to watch the Sweet Sixteen become the Elite Eight and ultimately the Final Four. The teams have this week to recover, strategize and practice. Games begin again on Saturday.

Here’s Jeff Goodman’s . . . → Read More: March Madness – The Final Four]]>

(image: Balakov)

Basketball fans filled sports bars and living rooms over the past four days to watch the Sweet Sixteen become the Elite Eight and ultimately the Final Four. The teams have this week to recover, strategize and practice. Games begin again on Saturday.

Here’s Jeff Goodman’s ranking of the Final Four teams.

Final Four preview: Breaking down the teams

by: Jeff Goodman

Now that we’ve got the Final Four matchups, we’re going to break down all four teams so you can see who has the inside track to cutting down the nets on April 6 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Halfcourt offense
1. North Carolina — The Tar Heels are more dangerous in transition, but Roy Williams’ team can also score in the halfcourt with Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson down low and Wayne Ellington and Danny Green on the wings.
2. Michigan State
3. UConn
4. Villanova

Transition offense
1. North Carolina — There’s just no one like Ty Lawson when it comes to pushing the ball in the open court. He has a gear like virtually no one else in the country.
2. UConn
3. Villanova
4. Michigan State

Defense
1. Villanova — The way Jay Wright’s team has been guarding the last few games has been the difference in the Wildcats getting to the Final Four.
2. Michigan State
3. UConn
4. North Carolina

Backcourt
1. North Carolina — Ty Lawson is as good as anyone on the offensive end, and Wayne Ellington is the perfect complement with his smooth stroke from the perimeter.
2. UConn
3. Michigan State
4. Villanova

Frontcourt
1. North Carolina — Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller are four big bodies that Roy Williams can rotate in and out of the lineup.
2. UConn
3. Michigan State
4. Villanova

Coaching
1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State — I know Jim Calhoun has two national titles, but Izzo has been to five Final Fours in the last 11 years with less talent.
2. Jim Calhoun, UConn
3. Roy Williams, North Carolina
4. Jay Wright, Villanova

Rebounding
1. Michigan State — Tom Izzo’s team may not appear physically imposing, but the Spartans out-rebound their opponents by nearly 10 per game.
2. UConn
3. North Carolina
4. Villanova

3-point shooting
1. North Carolina — The Tar Heels have three guys who make more than 40 percent of their shots from beyond the arc: Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington.
2. Villanova
3. Michigan State
4. UConn

Free-throw shooting
1. North Carolina — Four of the five starters shoot more than 77 percent from the line.
2. Villanova
3. Michigan State
4. UConn

Experience
1. North Carolina — Tyler Hansbrough is a four-year starter and juniors Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green have logged a ton of meaningful minutes since arriving in Chapel Hill.
2. UConn
3. Villanova
4. Michigan State

Size/Speed/Athletic ability
1. UConn — With Hasheem Thabeet up front and guys like Jeff Adrien, Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker, the Huskies have size, speed and athletes.
2. Villanova
3. North Carolina
4. Michigan State

Fan Support
1. North Carolina — The Tar Heel fans are on par with anyone in the nation, including Kentucky.
2. UConn
3. Michigan State
4. Villanova

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good ‘N Plenty.

Click here for the original post.

Click here to see the updated brackets.

image: She Takes The Cake

After five glorious days of NCAA basketball, the field of 65 has been cut to 16, otherwise known as the Sweet Sixteen. Here’s Jeff Goodman’s take on the action so far…

Big East on top with five teams in Sweet 16

by: . . . → Read More: March Madness – The Sweet Sixteen]]>

image: She Takes The Cake

After five glorious days of NCAA basketball, the field of 65 has been cut to 16, otherwise known as the Sweet Sixteen. Here’s Jeff Goodman’s take on the action so far…

Big East on top with five teams in Sweet 16

by: Jeff Goodman

The Big East has proven its supremacy.

It’s difficult to argue with the numbers — five teams advancing to the Sweet 16.
Pittsburgh, UConn and Louisville all won a pair of games as No. 1 seeds while Villanova and Syracuse both moved on as No. 3 seeds.

The Big 12 has three representatives while the ACC is left with just North Carolina and Duke.

Of all the Pac-10 teams to be left standing, no one figured it would be the ultimate program in instability: Arizona.

The bottom line here is that there’s no argument about which league is above the rest this season. It’s clearly the Big East with all five teams left having a legitimate chance to win two more games and get to Ford Field.

Game of the Day: This one was easy. Missouri’s 83-79 victory over Marquette in which freshman Kim English made two free throws with 5.5 seconds left. English took to the charity stripe only after J.T. Tiller injured his wrist, and knocked down both shots.

The Savior: Kim English, Missouri — The unheralded freshman scored 15 points and was 3-of-4 from long distance, but none of his shots were bigger than the two free throws he sank when he was substituted for Tiller at the line.

More Studs

1. Eric Devendorf, Syracuse: The Orange junior guard scored 21 points, buried two huge 3-pointers in the last five minutes and had just one turnover in the win against Arizona State.

2. Sam Young, Pittsburgh: The senior forward carried the Panthers with 32 points and eight rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in a tight win against Oklahoma State.

3. Nic Wise, Arizona: The Wildcats’ leader was the best player on the floor and finished with 21 points, including making all 10 of his free throws, and eight assists in a 71-57 win against Cleveland State.

4. Cole Aldrich, Kansas: The Jayhawks sophomore big man went for a triple-double against Dayton with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks.

5. Terrence Williams, Louisville: The Cardinals senior stepped up when it counted and finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds to hold off Siena.

Story of the Day: The Arizona Wildcats moving on to the Sweet 16 as the lone double-digit seed. Remember, this is a group that had to deal with the adversity of a third consecutive different head coach — and the defection of numerous recruits. Interim coach Russ Pennell and his co-coach, Mike Dunlap, have the ‘Cats moving on with a date against No. 1 Louisville.

Biggest Upset: It was an upset-free day with all the higher seeds coming out on top.

Worst rule: The college rule in which the coach gets to pick a player from the bench to substitute for a shooter if he’s injured. It’s a joke and needs to be changed. Just ask Marquette coach Buzz Williams, who watched it knock out his Golden Eagles.

Biggest disappointment: James Harden, Arizona State — The Sun Devils sophomore struggled for the second straight game and was passive and unimpressive. He finished with nine points on Friday in a win against Temple and had just 10 in the loss to Syracuse.

We’ll miss you: Marquette’s senior trio of Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James. McNeal went for 30 in the loss to Missouri, Matthews added 24 and James, who wasn’t supposed to be back on the court for two months, gutted it out and played 17 minutes.

Stat of the Day: Xavier holding Wisconsin to just 28.6 percent shooting overall and 16 total field goals. The Badgers were also 3-of-20 from long distance in the loss.

Quote of the Day: “I guess their flight team, or whatever they call it, wasn’t flying,” — Kansas guard Sherron Collins on Dayton.

Best Sweet 16 matchups

1. No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Gonzaga: I love this matchup. Both teams have plenty of balance and can score with anyone. It may come down to who defends.

2. No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Syracuse: The ‘Cuse can toss a couple of bigs up against Blake Griffin, but the key will be OU’s backcourt and whether it can control Jonny Flynn.

3. No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Villanova: The two teams are loaded with talented perimeter players, but the key may be which one of Duke’s Kyle Singler and Villanova’s Dante Cunningham can shine.

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good ‘N Plenty.

Click here for the original post.

Sweet 16 games begin on Thursday, March 26, 2009. Here’s a link to the updated brackets.

The Dance. (image: Seattle Municipal Archives)

Sixty-five were invited to the dance. One will come out on top.

by: Grayson Leverenz

Louisville, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and North Carolina (wooHOO!) captured #1 seeds in 2009. Alabama State and Morehead State, both #16 seeds, . . . → Read More: March Madness – NCAA Tournament Selection Day]]>

The Dance. (image: Seattle Municipal Archives)

Sixty-five were invited to the dance. One will come out on top.

by: Grayson Leverenz

Louisville, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and North Carolina (wooHOO!) captured #1 seeds in 2009. Alabama State and Morehead State, both #16 seeds, received the honor of opening the Tournament with the play-in game on Tuesday, March 17th at 7:30pm EST. Regular tournament games begin Thursday, March 19th at 12:15pm EST. I’ve read in several places that the first day of regular NCAA tournament play holds the record for the highest number of employee absences during the US work year.

Get ready for March Madness!

Click here to learn more about the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Click here to see the 2009 brackets.

Hoop Dreams (image: Bekah Stargazing)

Charlie Zegers is my new hero. I mention pretty often that I’m not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination. That having been said, I always try to keep up with big games, especially during MBA recruiting season, to . . . → Read More: All About March Madness]]>

Hoop Dreams (image: Bekah Stargazing)

Charlie Zegers is my new hero. I mention pretty often that I’m not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination. That having been said, I always try to keep up with big games, especially during MBA recruiting season, to facilitate small talk and to stay on top of my game, no pun intended. You really can’t teach US language and culture without embracing the world of sports. Hence, my love of Charlie Zegers.

Charlie writes for About.com and translates sports into a language fit for those of us new to the arena. Below Charlie introduces March Madness, the NCAA Tournament.

About the NCAA Tournament

Your Introduction to March Madness

by Charlie Zegers, About.com

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is the largest, most elaborate championship tournament in American sports.

The Major League Baseball playoffs? Please. Even with the Wild Card round, there are only eight teams involved, and the best-of-seven format makes true upsets tougher to come by. The NBA and NHL feature sixteen teams apiece… but once again, in a best-of-seven series format that gives a big advantage to the top seeds. The NFL has the drama of a single-elimination tournament… if you can stand the off-the-charts hype. And don’t even get me started on the Bowl Championship Series.

No, “March Madness” has ‘em all beat. It’s the Thunderdome of sports championships: 65 teams enter, one team leaves. Here’s your introduction to the spectacle.

The Field

The NCAA Tournament field is comprised of 65 teams. Thirty-one of the invitations go to conference champions — most of those are crowned in smaller postseason tournaments that take place the first week of March, though the Ivy League names its champion based on regular-season records. The remaining 34 teams are determined by a selection committee and given “at-large” bids.

Wait… 65 Teams?

Yeah, 65. In 2001, the Mountain West Conference was given “automatic bid” status. The NCAA didn’t want to eliminate an at-large bid, so they added a “play-in” game. The sixty-fourth and sixty-fifth seeded teams in the tournament face off for the right to be squashed in the first round by one of the number one seeds.

The reason you may not be aware of the play-in game: it isn’t typically represented on the ubiquitous “brackets” you’ve filled out in your office pool or on a sports website. Instead, you’ll see a notation along the lines of “Play-In Winner” in that sixteen-seed spot while you’re selecting the number one seed in that regional.

Seeds, Ranks, RPI

This is a good time to catch you up on some NCAA Tournament lingo.

The 64 teams are split into four regions, each with 16 teams. The regions are set up by the selection committee with an eye towards making each group even in terms of strength.

The sixteen teams in each region are seeded one through 16. The best four teams in the tournament are, in theory, the four “number one” seeds. The four next best become the four two seeds, and so on. In the first round, the one seed plays the 16, two plays 15, etc. The 1-16 matchup tends to be a mismatch, while the 8-9 and 7-10 games are much more evenly matched.

Don’t confuse seedings with rankings. Seeings are specific to the tournament and indicate a given team’s strength within its region. A team’s rank — as defined by polls conducted by ESPN/USA Today and the Associated Press serves as an unofficial standing that cuts across all conferences. The ESPN/USA Today and AP polls are factors used to establish the NCAA Tournament seedings, but they are not interchangeable.

Theoretically, the teams ranked one through four in the polls would become the four number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

Got all that? There’s more. Another term you’ll hear thrown around by commentators and sportswriters is RPI. RPI is short for “Ratings Percentage Index,” and is strictly mathematical means of ranking teams — as opposed to the poll rankings, which are generated by tabulating the votes of sportswriters.

To add to the confusion, the RPI formula is a closely guarded secret not unlike the recipe for Coca-Cola. There are a large number of websites that attempt to re-create the RPI rankings each season, but they tend to differ with each other at least a little bit.

You’ll hear the RPI invoked most often as part of an argument about which teams should and shouldn’t be invited to the tournament.

Tournament Schedule

The actual schedule for the tournament differs from year to year — 2008 dates and locations follow — but the basic sequence of events is always the same.

During the first week of March — Championship Week, as it’s been branded — the conference championship tournaments are held. The last of the championship games typically ends late Sunday afternoon. That day is known as Selection Sunday.

In the early evening of Selection Sunday, the field of 65 is announced. The selection special is broadcast on CBS Sports; CBS owns the exclusive broadcast rights for the entire tournament.

That Monday is probably the least-productive day on the American business calendar, as cubicle-dwellers nationwide scramble to fill out their tournament brackets. The play-in game is held on Tuesday, and the tournament begins in earnest on Thursday. Half the field plays its opening game on Thursday, the other half on Friday. By the end of Friday’s games, the field of 65 has been winnowed to 32.

The teams that won Thursday play second-round games on Saturday; the Friday teams play on Sunday, and after the first weekend, we’re down to the Sweet Sixteen.

Eight of the remaining 16 play again on the following Thursday. The other eight play each other on Friday, and the Sweet Sixteen becomes the Elite Eight. After two more Saturday and two more Sunday games, we’re down to the Final Four.

As March Madness runs into April, the schedule shifts slightly for the tournament’s final weekend. The two Final Four games are held on Saturday night, and the final game played on the Monday after.

Click here for the original post.

Mark your calendars for 2009 March Madness:

Not on the official schedule, but important nonetheless, watch the Play-In game Tuesday, March 17th at 7:30pm.

by: Grayson Leverenz

Sports fans or not, Super Bowl Sunday excites most Americans with the parties, the commercials, the half-time show and, of course, the game. Here are some essentials for creating a memorable Super Bowl Sunday:

The Game On Sunday, February 1 at 6:00 pm EST the Pittsburgh Steelers play the . . . → Read More: Super Bowl XLIII]]>

by: Grayson Leverenz

Sports fans or not, Super Bowl Sunday excites most Americans with the parties, the commercials, the half-time show and, of course, the game. Here are some essentials for creating a memorable Super Bowl Sunday:

The Game
On Sunday, February 1 at 6:00 pm EST the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa Bay, Florida. Those of us not lucky enough to be in the Sunshine state can watch the game on NBC.

About.com published Football 101 – The Basics of American Football, an overview for people that know little to nothing about football, like me. I found it easy to read and understand. If you want to learn more about the sport before the big game, click here to check it out.

If you want to learn more about the Steelers and the Cardinals, click here for the National Football League’s breakdown.

The Half-Time Show
Between the two halves of a football game, entertainers thrill the crowd with musical performances. The Super Bowl Half-Time show promises to be a highlight every year with big name stars and lots of action. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band are headlining this year.

An icon of US pop culture, The Boss, as Bruce Springsteen is called, should light up the stage on Sunday, and if all goes well, sales of his new album “Working on a Dream” will skyrocket. According to Nielsen, sales of 2008 half-time headliner, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits album increased +196% in the week following the Super Bowl.

The Commercials
There is an entire crowd dedicated not to the sport, but to the Super Bowl advertisements. Super Bowl spots are traditionally the most expensive media slots because the game is historically the most-watched television broadcast of the year. Nielsen said a 30:second spot went for $2.7 million in 2008 and total spending exceeded $197 million.

If you are a Marketing major, I strongly recommend you watch the commercials during the Super Bowl even if you don’t watch the game itself. Although rumor has it the ads won’t be as stellar as usual given the current economic conditions, people will be talking about them in class on Monday. Click here to see a video list of the Top 10 Super Bowl commercials of all time.

The Parties
Few things are more American than a Super Bowl party. I thought it was the #1 occasion for beer purchases of the year, but turns out it’s only #8. Maybe people are still recovering from New Year’s Eve. Whatever the case, a lot of beer is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, accompanied by chips and dip, chicken wings and other bite-sized munchies.

Check out recommendations and recipes from the Food Network here.

Enjoy the game!

image: wakeforest.rivals.com

by: Grayson Leverenz

Whenever I meet an International student, I always ask, “What’s the biggest surprise for you in doing your MBA in the US?” The answer helps me learn more about the International experience to create better content for you. Plus, I’m a naturally curious person, . . . → Read More: MBA Interviews | Recruiting and Sports]]>

image: wakeforest.rivals.com

by: Grayson Leverenz

Whenever I meet an International student, I always ask, “What’s the biggest surprise for you in doing your MBA in the US?” The answer helps me learn more about the International experience to create better content for you. Plus, I’m a naturally curious person, especially when it comes to cultural experiences.

I recently met a student from India that said he was surprised by the role sports play in the MBA Recruiting process. He said, “People love sports in India, too…but we don’t talk about them during interviews.” A lot of other International students agreed.

He’s right; sports do play a role in the MBA Recruiting process in the US, especially if you go to a school that excels in a particular area. I think I’ve mentioned in blog posts before that I am not a huge sports fan, but I went to two major ACC basketball schools for my education, Wake Forest for undergrad and UNC for my MBA. Incidentally, Wake Forest just beat UNC in basketball last night and moved into the #2 position in the AP poll. That’s the kind of thing you’ll want to know walking into an interview.

Recruiters often use sports to establish rapport with an interviewee. After the introductions, when you’re walking back to the interview room, they may strike up a conversation about last night’s game or their favorite player. With that in mind, it’s important to do your homework on your sports teams as well as your behavioral interview questions.

Here is a site with NCAA College Basketball rankings as of today. Note, both my alma maters in the top 5 of the AP poll! You can use this site to be aware of the rankings, to learn the schedule and get some facts on the players. There is also a very cool recap section that shows the highlights of games.

Have fun with it; you don’t ever want to be disingenuous when you’re prepping for interviews. If keeping up with a website doesn’t sound fun to you, use this opportunity to ask one of your US classmates to tell you about the season. That’s what I always did!

Click here to purchase the MBA in the USA™ complete interview guide “MBA Interviews: How to Shine in Every Interview Situation.”